surich

I would appreciate any advice on which excursions to take and whether there are local alternatives. We are going on the 14th March 2011.
Many Thanks

jacketwatch

what are the port stops?

Dayenu

Which direction? East-west or west-east?

surich

The ports are Cabo San Lucas Mexico, Acapulco. Puntarenas, Fuerte Amador, Cartenga, Aruba. We have been given cabin A317 and know you have cruised on Island Princess. Do you know if this cabin is ok as it was last one left.
Many Thanks

surich

Have now been told there is a cabin mid ships 515. They say just the walkway above so should not be noisy. Any advice.
Many thanks

jacketwatch

Is that also on the Aloha deck?

surich

yes

jacketwatch

Well being more amidships is always better in terms of motion issues. We have few ports in common however as we embarked from ACA, went to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Ocho Rios. In CR we chose to go to the artisan village of Sarchi or something like that. It was quite nice and clean and if you like handicrafts this is a good place to go to. You can also buy some really good coffee in CR as well as this is of course something they produce in abundance and the quality is very good. On the ship itself is an area called the sanctuary which is all the way aft. Its like a day spa but it does come at a cost, pretty nominal really and its booked on a daily basis on the day of use only. It was pretty popular on the day we traversed the canal. Personally I think its nicer to be on different parts of the ship as you do this to get different views. Its nice to be all the way forward when the lock is opening. After you enter the canal you will see a new, wider canal being built from the port side which I think is due to be completed in about 2014 IIRC. Do take advantage of the guest lecturer to get info about this engineering wonder. Its amazing really. It was originally begun by a Frenchman DeLessep who had built the Suez canal. As he was a nearly a natl. hero for this feat many Frenchmen invested heavily into his fund for building the Panama canal after he was awarded the project. However building a canal thru flat desert was one thing. Going thru jungle, mountains and so on was quite another. He went bankrupt as his so many of his investors and became a persona non grata so to speak in France. It was a disaster and 10K workers lost their lives, mostly to disease like malaria and yellow fever. Its a fascinating event so I suggest taking in as much as you can about this amazing feat. Some of the original machinery is still in use today. Have a great time. Larry.

surich

Thanks for that information. We are extending our stay in Florida once we disembark in Fort Lauderdale and want to pick up a rental car but have been told Budget and others do not have any facilities at the terminal and there are no shuttles. Is this correct and if so where do people pick cars up.
Many thanks.

Eschew

Unless there are recent changes, Budget has a facility close to the Fort Lauderdale terminal and they will pick you up with a free shuttle. I have been using them every trip for the past few years.

You have to book at the Quay Plaza location, the location code is EV3 if you book on line. You can pick up your car there and return the car to the Fort Lauderdale airport with no extra charges. Alternately, I ahve booked cars at the Fort Lauderdale airport, return it to Quay Plaza and they offer me free shuttle to the Port facility.

Larry had given you a pretty good list. He was on that ship going through the canal l2 years ago , and we were on it last year.

A few more hints:

Be ready to get up real early. Cruise ships typically go through the first set of locks early in the morning, so if you want to see the approach etc, you have to be there at 6 a.m.

Best place to view the canal going into a lock is from the front of the ship. Go to deck 10 or deck 11, to the very front, past the suites. It may be windy so dress appropriately.

Be prepare for rain. It will rain during your trip. A cheap poncho from your local dollar stores will work great.

If you take an excursion in Panama, a lunch is provided. Be fore warn that you will be disappointed. It consist of a juice box and a cold mystery meat sandwich. That was the most common compliant that I have heard, regardless of cruise lines. I guess they all use the same tour operator. A lot of people didn't eat the food or drink the juice. They also didn't provide a suitable place for you to sit down and eat. I am suprised that they have not managed to solve this problem. Buy yourself a drink and snack food ahead of time.

The trip to San Jose (Costa Rica) was worth it, especially seeing the museum and the opera hosue.

surich

Thanks to all for your help. We'll be sure to give the packed lunch a miss! Really looking forward to this trip if English airports open by March.